I would like to invite you and your partner to participate in a study about the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as it is experienced by the Military person. I will be looking at the impact of PTSD on the partners of military personnel and the existence of post-traumatic growth.

Personal growth from trauma (post-traumatic growth) can sometimes occur after a person has suffered trauma, the effects can promote psychological well-being. By knowing what promotes this growth it will be possible to better understand how to help Australian combat veterans and their families to manage traumatic deployments.

If you or your partner have suffered combat trauma and would both like to take part in this research, please copy the link below to access the online survey, which you will each need to do separately. Alternatively, if you are unable to access the internet, you can telephone Wing Commander G. Ballard (Retd.) on 0410 623 848 and he will send you and your partner paper copies with a stamped addressed envelope. He will receive the replies and remove any individuating data prior to giving them to me.

Some of the question in the survey may be sensitive in nature as the research is aiming to understand people’s response to traumatic events, so there is a possibility that it may raise personal or upsetting issues. If that is the case, you can contact your local Community Health Centre. For 24-hour support, telephone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 (web chat and email services is also available).

It is anticipated that this research will be completed by December, 2017. The results may be presented or written up in journals without any identifying information about the participants.

This research has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England (Approval No HE17-051 Valid to 18/04/2018).